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News & Updates:  Census, Shelters, Other Reports
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Pacific Palisades Community Council
News & Updates:  Census, Shelters,
Other Reports
-
as of 4/23/20
2020 Census Reminder
LA County Supervisor Sheila Kuehl reminds everyone to
participate in the 2020 Census!
The April 1 date was a reference only, not a deadline.
District Director Fernando Morales advises that while the U.S. Census Bureau recently announced that 50% of households have already participated in the 2020 Census, “we still have a long way to go in order to ensure we receive our proper funding and representation over the course of the next ten years.”  For information on how to complete the census (online, by phone or via U.S. mail), visit
2020 Census
.
Homeless Shelter in the Palisades
Recent social media posts and communications have led some residents to believe that the City had decided that
Palisades Recreation Center
will not be used as an emergency homeless center; others regard these communications as misleading. To eliminate confusion we've requested clarification from Councilmember Bonin and will let the community know if we receive an answer. To our knowledge the Mayor has not issued a definitive statement ruling out our recreation center for this use; our specific questions on this point have never been answered. Again, the Mayor's representative informed PPCC in writing on March 28th that the center is designated for this use "only if capacity is met" at the other shelters (see
3/28/20 message
). The Mayor has publicly stated that other centers are either at or near capacity.
Meanwhile, consistent with the Mayor's public remarks at his press conference last Friday,
additional homeless shelters
have opened at recreation centers in the City this week, including three more to date and one more expected.  To see the current list of emergency shelters, visit
RAP Shelters
.
Other Shelter & Trailers Update
Credit: Beverlywood Homes Association
PPCC Treasurer Richard Cohen (our liaison to the WLA Community-Police Advisory Board/C-PAB) and Secretary Chris Spitz joined Westside community leaders, LAPD West Division Commanding Officer Capt. Jonathan Tom and other officers in a recent Zoom C-PAB meeting focused on the homeless shelter & trailers at the
Cheviot Hills Recreation Center.
Capt. Tom provided extensive information about the status of the shelter & trailers. He explained that t
h
ere are 40 shelter beds and 101 trailers; all shelter inhabitants are asymptomatic but the trailers are reserved for asymptomatic individuals who are 65+ years old. There have been no observed problems except for one trash incident on the street; the inhabitants are compliant people, not trouble-makers, and want to get off the street; there is extra police monitoring but little need for enforcement; and services will be provided to inhabitants when the shelter program ends, which is a good opportunity to solve the problem overall.
For further details, please visit
Beverlywood HOA Bulletin
.
Other crime news
from Capt. Tom: Crime is down substantially on the Westside, with some Grand Theft auto (50% involve keys left in the car).
Beaches & Trails Closures
Credit: LAPD West
Division
Our LAPD Senior Lead Officer Michael Moore reminds the Palisades community that although we will have hot weather over the weekend, our
beaches and trails remain closed
to the public in order to maintain the necessary social distancing guidelines.  Additional officers will be deployed to Will Rogers State Beach.
PPCC welcomes SLO Moore back to the Palisades -- we're glad to know he's well and continues to protect our community.
Highlands Eldercare Project Lawsuit
The
petition for writ of mandate
brought by Pacific Palisades Residents Association, challenging decisions of the City and Coastal Commission, was denied by Los Angeles Superior Court Judge John A. Torribio on April 21, 2020.
City Planning Director's Message
Los Angeles
Department of City Planning
(DCP) Director Vince Bertoni has sent a letter explaining the Department's status and procedures during the coronavirus crisis. Please click on
Bertoni Letter
or visit the DCP website
COVID-19 page
for more information.
Reports from PPCC Board Members
PPCC's representatives and officers report to us from around town
Rick McGeagh
(PPBA): "The Pacific Palisades Baseball Association has suspended our Season indefinitely due to the COVID-19 Crisis."
Cathi Ruddy
(PPWC): "The Pacific Palisades Woman's Club remains closed in compliance with the Stay at Home orders issued by the City of Los Angeles. On March 3, PPWC provided 24 local non-profit groups with grant funding for projects, some of which are benefitting our neighbors during the Covid 19 epidemic. PPWC looks forward to being back in action when the time is right."
Marilyn Wexler
(Area 7 2nd Alternate & SMCCA President):  "SMCCA [Santa Monica Canyon Civic Association] has been loosely in contact for the past weeks. A core group of eight of us will be having a Zoom meeting in the next few days. I'll be asking for feedback, concerns and suggestions. So far, no big issues. . . We'll continue to send out notifications and information.""
Beth Holden-Garland
(PPRA Alternate):  "I’m personally not seeing a lot of people wearing masks in the neighborhood (watching through my home window) and people outside walking. . . The masks seem to be the minority over the majority. . . . The population density is something to think about here. . .  I am still somewhat concerned about the Recreation Center and hope it’s truly off their list in using as a relocation center."
Sue Kohl
(Area 5 Representative):  "In the Alphabets/Village, most residents are complying with orders, keeping faces covered and social distancing. I have seen small groups of people on a regular basis in the mini-park at the Caruso Village, having coffee, etc. but sitting at least 8 feet apart. Kids and adults both have taken to the streets, riding bikes, walking dogs, etc. I believe this crisis has brought neighbors together as we all realize what is at stake and how we must rely on each other. On my many walks, people who might have walked by before are now waving or saying hello - from a distance behind their masks. Everyone is very relieved that the Rec Center (at least for now) is not going to be used as a homeless shelter. It is felt that it would have been a disaster not only for our small community but also for the homeless individuals who would have been stuck together in a small space, dangerous for their health."
Chris Spitz
(Secretary): "Many more people than usual are walking, jogging & biking in the Via neighborhoods, in the streets and along the Via bluffs (Area 6); most practice social distancing (with lots of criss-crossing required) and masks are increasingly being worn; LA Recreation & Parks and LAPD are working on solutions to deter unsafe and illegal use of the bluffs for bicycle racing."
Dave Card
(Chair): "Most people out walking in Area 3 practice social distancing and masks seem to be worn in 50/50 cases; Randy Young and I have been pulling weeds and trimming at the historic Eucalyptus Grove at Rustic Canyon Recreation Center."
Meals for Heroes Program Ongoing
The BCC-PPCC program to provide
meals from our local restaurants for delivery to our frontline, heroic workers
is ongoing weekly and will continue as long as the program is supported by our communities.
Meals are still needed this week and next!
Visit
Meals for Heroes
and click on the link to the instruction spreadsheet. Please note:
Palisades Garden Cafe
is now participating, along with KaynDaves and Brentwood restaurants. Questions? Contact
info@pacpalicc.org
.
Thanks to everyone for their generosity and support of our frontline heroes AND our local restaurants!
Poppies & Wildflowers
PPCC Chair David Card reminds the community that
poppies & other wildflowers
are blooming in Southern California!  For current information about the spring blooms, including a wildflower hotline, visit
Theodore Payne Foundation
. The hotline reports online have photos of the wildflower blooms in SoCal.  If you want to see them in person, please drive by -- don’t get out to walk among them. Please note that some viewing areas are closed, including the
Antelope Valley Poppy Reserve
.
PPCC Community Calendar
Note:  All Palisades events in April are either cancelled, postponed or
will be held via virtual conference (e.g., the April 27 Civic League meeting).
Please visit the PPCC Calendar and/or check with event sponsors for details.